EP1217358A1 - Impurities inspection system - Google Patents
Impurities inspection system Download PDFInfo
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- EP1217358A1 EP1217358A1 EP01108404A EP01108404A EP1217358A1 EP 1217358 A1 EP1217358 A1 EP 1217358A1 EP 01108404 A EP01108404 A EP 01108404A EP 01108404 A EP01108404 A EP 01108404A EP 1217358 A1 EP1217358 A1 EP 1217358A1
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- Prior art keywords
- impurities
- inspection system
- liquid
- specimen
- ccd sensor
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
- G01N21/84—Systems specially adapted for particular applications
- G01N21/88—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
- G01N21/90—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination in a container or its contents
- G01N21/9018—Dirt detection in containers
- G01N21/9027—Dirt detection in containers in containers after filling
Definitions
- This invention pertains to an impurities inspection system that inspects impurities in drinks, medicine, and other liquid products (including liquid-state products) and pertains particularly to an impurities inspection system that inspects on a real-time basis and in a secure manner the presence or lack of suspended and deposited impurities in coffee, cola, and other colored liquids.
- HACCP has been developed in U.S.A. and is known throughout the world as one of the best sanitary control system methods.
- the HACCP is intended for evaluating the safety of products in all manufacturing processes as compared with conventional sanitary control methods where the final products are a subject to be inspected the HACCP particularly focuses on the preventive quality control in each process and consists mainly of two major sections: hazard analysis and critical control points. Any possibility of hazardous incidents such as microbial contamination which may occur in each step of the manufacturing and processing of foods and the storage and shipment of products before the end consumers is reviewed and analysed through determining the critical control points for preventive actions and the control standards and constantly monitoring and checking the records of control whether or not the requirements are fulfilled within allowance. Also, other hazardous items are controlled by the pre-requisite program to prevent any adulteration in the process and to improve the safety quality of products.
- heating and pasteurization processes are used for preventing microbial contamination in the production line and removal of impurities with cyclone separators or the like is implemented for adulteration.
- the products When the products have been packed in containers such as cans or bottles, they are visually inspected for final, before-delivery checking.
- manufacturing and processing plants for liquid products such as soft drinks or fruits and vegetable juice yield a very large quantity of products by transferring liquid materials from steps of removal of impurities to tanks and then conveying them via tubular conduits (pipelines) to a filler where a stream of containers, such as cans or bottle, are automatically filled with the mixed materials.
- the products in process may be adulterated by foreign matters which are substantially classified in the term of source into: "material impurities” contained in the materials, "environmental impurities” entering the materials not packaged, and “equipment impurities” generated in manufacturing equipment in the production line.
- the removal of impurities from the liquid product which are greater in specific gravity than the liquid product can be implemented by the use of a cyclone separator or the like.
- the impurities, which are greater in particle size than the materials can be removed by filtration. Those are common processes for removing foreign matters from the liquid products before the major process in manufacturing steps of the conventional manufacturing and processing plants as well as the final inspection and test for ensuring the safety of the products.
- the liquid materials may be contaminated with environmental and equipment impurities while being conveyed from their respective tanks via pipelines to the filler station where they are packaged into containers such as cans.
- the liquid products such as tea or milk are filtered by a fairly fine filter to remove minute particles with simplicity. Fiber matters are likely to block up a screen of the filter and may be removed by the filter with much difficulty.
- the material including particles of different sizes is filtered by a series of filters to remove impurities which are greater in size than the particles but equipment impurities added after the material stage will rarely be removed by filtration. Visual inspection is not applicable to the liquid product running in the pipeline and makes the removal of impurities impossible.
- impurities inspection can be conducted by an optical method or irradiating a laser or other beam.
- impurities inspection cannot be conducted by an optical method or irradiating a laser or other beam.
- X-rays can also be used for impurities inspection, but X-rays are harmful to the human body and requires bulky equipment, thus being costly.
- the purpose of this invention is to provide an impurities inspection system that can securely detect impurities in colored liquids in glass and PET bottles pipelines, along with other containers, and impurities in colored glass and PET bottles.
- This invention pertains to an impurities inspection system that inspects impurities in a specimen.
- the aforementioned purpose of this invention is fulfilled by detecting impurities by irradiating infrared light no less than the first specified power (0.7mW) and no more than the second specified power (100W) to the specimen and receiving the transmitted light from a specimen with a CCD sensor.
- the aforementioned purpose of this invention is fulfilled by arranging an image intensifier and a CCD sensor with regard to the specimen and determining the presence or lack of impurities in the specimen through receiving light from the CCD sensor, or by irradiating infrared light to the specimen and receiving transmitted light from the specimen by means of the CCD sensor via the image intensifier.
- This invention determines whether a glass or PET bottle or pipeline, or other container, contains metal, cloth, hair, dirt, or other impurities (suspended or deposited impurities) by means of infrared radiation, CCD sensor, or image intensifier (I.I.) in a production line for producing drinks, medicines or other liquid products (including liquid-state products).
- This invention is designed particularly to detect impurities in a liquid automatically and securely without stopping the production line even in the case of coffee, cola, juice, milk or other colored liquid or if the liquid product is mineral water or other transparent material and the glass or PET bottles are translucent or colored.
- this invention is designed to securely detect in the final stage such impurities that may enter the products in the manufacturing or processing process, as “raw material impurities,” which failed to be removed in inspections on raw materials, “environmental impurities,” which may enter the products when loaded into the production line, and “impurities from manufacturing equipment,” which come from the manufacturing equipment during production, thus preventing defective products containing impurities from being shipped.
- FIG. 1 shows the fundamental principle of an impurities inspection system claimed in this invention.
- the glass bottle 1 as a specimen, is filled with a colored liquid (such as coffee, cola, and milk), and the liquid 2 contains impurities 3. Since the liquid 2 is colored, the impurities 3 cannot be seen from outside.
- the impurities 3 are difficult to detect with visual and optical methods.
- the impurities 3 can be detected by irradiating infrared light with wavelengths from 750 and 1,000nm in the power range from 0.7mW to 100W from the infrared source, collecting the transmitted light from the glass bottle 1 with an objective lens (not shown in the figure), and receiving the light with a CCD (charge-coupled device) sensor 11.
- CCD charge-coupled device
- the CCD sensor 11 has a wide and high wavelength sensitivity characteristic extending from the blue to the near-infrared (a wavelength and sensitivity in the range where the light receiver responds), thus having a high quantum efficiency for capturing photons.
- the quantum efficiency of photography is 2-3% at the most, while the CCD sensor 11 achieves as much as 90%.
- the CCD sensor 11 is characterized by a large ratio of the minimum to the maximum brightness that can be measured at the same time (the dynamic range), thus being high in linearity.
- FIG. 2 indicates a typical arrangement of an image intensifier 12 on the front panel of the CCD sensor 11.
- the image intensifier 12 is also known as the photoelectric multiplier and is a kind of optical multiplier based on the secondary electron emission effect and consists of a photoelectric face, MCP (micro-channel plate), and fluorescent face. This makes it possible to detect light that are too weak for humans to sense. The device can therefore be used not only for visible radiation but for ultraviolet and near-infrared light as well.
- FIG. 2 is based on the arrangement of an image intensifier 12 on the front panel of the CCD sensor 11, so that the CCD sensor 11 can capture printed characters and other patterns on the paper 13 arranged in front of the glass bottle 1 filled with a colored liquid 12. In this case, an ordinary kind of infrared radiation will suffice. This principle makes it possible to detect impurities 3 in the glass bottle 1.
- the device is so designed that infrared radiation is applied to the side of the glass bottle 1 from the infrared source 14, and the transmitted light from the glass bottle 1 can be received with the CCD sensor 11 via the image intensifier 12.
- the infrared light will suffice if they have an ordinary wavelength and power (wavelength 870nm and power 0.7mW) and requires no particular regulation.
- the synergy of the image intensifier 12 and the CCD sensor 11 makes it possible to detect the impurities 3 in the liquid 2 even if the liquid 2 is coffee or other colored liquid or if the glass bottle 1 is colored.
- FIGs. 4A and 4B are images from the CCD sensor 11 obtained with the method used in FIG. 1, and the diagram FIG. 4A is an image obtained when no infrared light are applied. It is found that only the outside of the cola bottle is captured as an image and the inside of the bottle cannot be seen. By irradiating infrared light, one can obtain an image obtained by transmitting light through the glass bottle as shown in FIG. 4B.
- FIGs. 5A and 5B are images taken from a piece of paper on which characters are printed out between the infrared source 10 and the glass bottle 1.
- the diagram FIG. 5A shows an image taken when no infrared light are applied. By irradiating infrared light, one can read the characters through the glass bottle as shown in the diagram FIG. 5B. This means that, even if the glass bottle is colored such as in the case of a cola bottle 1 and the cola liquid is colored, impurities in the bottle can be inspected with the CCD camera 11.
- FIG. 6A shows a screen showing raw data about the CCD sensor through visible light, and the impurities in the glass bottle are not captured as part of the image.
- FIG. 6B shows a data screen for the CCD sensor when infrared light are used, thus showing bar-like impurities at the left of the screen.
- FIG. 6C shows a binary image obtained by processing the image of the diagram FIG. 6B.
- the presence of impurities is clear, which makes it possible to detect impurities.
- FIG. 7 shows how such an inspection can be performed.
- Infrared light are irradiated from the infrared source 14 arranged at the bottom of the glass bottle 1 and provision is made to capture images with the image intensifier 12 and the CCD sensor 11 arranged at the top of the glass bottle 1.
- Such a configuration allows the CCD sensor 11 to detect the impurities 3A settled at the bottom of the glass bottle 1.
- FIG. 7 is based on the arrangement of an infrared source 14, image intensifier 12, and CCD sensor 11 along an optical axis orthogonal to the bottom of the glass bottle. They can also be arranged in an inclined manner.
- FIG. 8A shows a raw data image of the CCD sensor 11 with visible radiation, and the impurities inside the glass bottle 1 are not captured as part of the image.
- FIG. 8B shows a data image of the CCD sensor 11 when infrared light are used, so that a T-shaped impurity is captured at the top of the screen.
- FIG. 8C is a binary image obtained by processing the image obtained in the diagram FIG. 8B.
- the presence of the impurities is clear, which allows impurities to be detected.
- Cola bottles for example, are running on the production line 20. These cola bottles are detected with a CCD sensor 21 by means of the aforementioned method. Signals detected by the CCD sensor 21 are image-processed by the image processor 22, and the impurities identification circuit 23 determines the presence or lack of impurities. When any impurity is identified, the circuit produces a reject signal RS.
- the production line 20 is provided with a cola bottle sorter 24, and cola bottles corresponding to the reject signal RS are rejected to divide the bottles into acceptable and defective ones. This allows one to produce only acceptable products and ship them.
- FIG. 10 shows how such an inspection can be performed, and the pipeline 30 has a colored liquid 31 flowing inside it. It can be flanked by an infrared source 32 on one side, and a CCD sensor 33 on the other, thus detecting impurities 34 that entered the liquid 31.
- this invention can detect impurities contained in products and remove defective products containing such impurities whether a colored liquid is contained in glass or PET bottles or the glass or PET bottles are colored. This makes it possible to eliminate impurities that may enter the products up until immediately before the liquid is poured into glass or PET bottles and becomes a final product. The product can thus be made even safer.
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Abstract
An impurities inspection system is for detecting impurities contained in a colored liquid that may have entered the liquid in a production line for producing colored liquid products such as drinks and liquid agents. This invention is fulfilled by irradiating infrared light no less than the first specified power and no more than the second specified power to the specimen and receiving transmitted light from the specimen by means of a CCD sensor.
Description
This invention pertains to an impurities inspection
system that inspects impurities in drinks, medicine, and other
liquid products (including liquid-state products) and pertains
particularly to an impurities inspection system that inspects
on a real-time basis and in a secure manner the presence or
lack of suspended and deposited impurities in coffee, cola,
and other colored liquids.
As the applicable food sanitary laws are based on HACCP
(hazard analysis of critical control points) and the PL
(product liability) regulations are enforced, it will be
obligatory to avoid any undesired incident, such as microbial
contamination or entrance of impurities (e.g. metal, a piece
of cloth and hair) which may occur in all steps of food
quality control from the production and process of food and
medicine products to storage, shipment, and consumption of the
products and to increase the cleanliness and the safety of
such products.
HACCP has been developed in U.S.A. and is known
throughout the world as one of the best sanitary control
system methods. The HACCP is intended for evaluating the
safety of products in all manufacturing processes as compared
with conventional sanitary control methods where the final
products are a subject to be inspected the HACCP particularly
focuses on the preventive quality control in each process and
consists mainly of two major sections: hazard analysis and
critical control points. Any possibility of hazardous
incidents such as microbial contamination which may occur in
each step of the manufacturing and processing of foods and the
storage and shipment of products before the end consumers is
reviewed and analysed through determining the critical control
points for preventive actions and the control standards and
constantly monitoring and checking the records of control
whether or not the requirements are fulfilled within
allowance. Also, other hazardous items are controlled by the
pre-requisite program to prevent any adulteration in the
process and to improve the safety quality of products.
In manufacturing and processing plants for liquid
products (e.g. beverages, liquid medicine and liquid-state
products), heating and pasteurization processes are used for
preventing microbial contamination in the production line and
removal of impurities with cyclone separators or the like is
implemented for adulteration. When the products have been
packed in containers such as cans or bottles, they are
visually inspected for final, before-delivery checking. More
specifically, manufacturing and processing plants for liquid
products such as soft drinks or fruits and vegetable juice
yield a very large quantity of products by transferring liquid
materials from steps of removal of impurities to tanks and
then conveying them via tubular conduits (pipelines) to a
filler where a stream of containers, such as cans or bottle,
are automatically filled with the mixed materials.
In such manufacturing and processing plants, the products
in process may be adulterated by foreign matters which are
substantially classified in the term of source into: "material
impurities" contained in the materials, "environmental
impurities" entering the materials not packaged, and
"equipment impurities" generated in manufacturing equipment in
the production line. The removal of impurities from the
liquid product which are greater in specific gravity than the
liquid product can be implemented by the use of a cyclone
separator or the like. The impurities, which are greater in
particle size than the materials can be removed by filtration.
Those are common processes for removing foreign matters from
the liquid products before the major process in manufacturing
steps of the conventional manufacturing and processing plants
as well as the final inspection and test for ensuring the
safety of the products.
However, there is still potential for adulteration with
impurities in the manufacturing/processing step even if the
preprocess inspection and the removal of impurities from the
materials have been carried out. For example, the liquid
materials may be contaminated with environmental and equipment
impurities while being conveyed from their respective tanks
via pipelines to the filler station where they are packaged
into containers such as cans. For compensation, the liquid
products such as tea or milk are filtered by a fairly fine
filter to remove minute particles with simplicity. Fiber
matters are likely to block up a screen of the filter and may
be removed by the filter with much difficulty. The material
including particles of different sizes is filtered by a series
of filters to remove impurities which are greater in size than
the particles but equipment impurities added after the
material stage will rarely be removed by filtration. Visual
inspection is not applicable to the liquid product running in
the pipeline and makes the removal of impurities impossible.
In current practice, therefore, when a product containing
a fibrous or grainy material is manufactured, visual
inspectors conduct a visual check of solutions and additives
in tanks containing the raw materials and remove any
impurities manually. After that until the product is put
poured into containers through the pipeline, no such thing as
the detection of impurities or impurities removal has been
conducted. Visual inspection has no effect on coffee, cola,
or other colored liquid and a solution has been called for.
When an impurities inspection is conducted after a liquid
product is poured into glass or PET bottles, and if the PET or
glass bottles are transparent and the liquid is transparent,
impurities inspection can be conducted by an optical method or
irradiating a laser or other beam. However, if the liquid is
transparent but the PET or glass bottles are colored and
translucent, or if the PET or glass bottles are transparent
but the poured liquid is coffee, juice, cola, or other colored
liquid, impurities inspection cannot be conducted by an
optical method or irradiating a laser or other beam. X-rays
can also be used for impurities inspection, but X-rays are
harmful to the human body and requires bulky equipment, thus
being costly.
In consequence, conventional practice involved no
impurities inspection at all after a colored liquid product
was poured into glass or PET bottles. Exactly the same was
true of pipelines. To pursue product perfection, the industry
calls for secure impurities inspection on glass or PET bottles
and impurities inspection on pipelines. The same is true of
colored liquids.
This invention was made a reality under these
circumstances. Thus, the purpose of this invention is to
provide an impurities inspection system that can securely
detect impurities in colored liquids in glass and PET bottles
pipelines, along with other containers, and impurities in
colored glass and PET bottles.
This invention pertains to an impurities inspection
system that inspects impurities in a specimen. The
aforementioned purpose of this invention is fulfilled by
detecting impurities by irradiating infrared light no less
than the first specified power (0.7mW) and no more than the
second specified power (100W) to the specimen and receiving
the transmitted light from a specimen with a CCD sensor.
In addition, the aforementioned purpose of this invention
is fulfilled by arranging an image intensifier and a CCD
sensor with regard to the specimen and determining the
presence or lack of impurities in the specimen through
receiving light from the CCD sensor, or by irradiating
infrared light to the specimen and receiving transmitted light
from the specimen by means of the CCD sensor via the image
intensifier.
In the accompanying drawings:
This invention determines whether a glass or PET bottle
or pipeline, or other container, contains metal, cloth, hair,
dirt, or other impurities (suspended or deposited impurities)
by means of infrared radiation, CCD sensor, or image
intensifier (I.I.) in a production line for producing drinks,
medicines or other liquid products (including liquid-state
products). This invention is designed particularly to detect
impurities in a liquid automatically and securely without
stopping the production line even in the case of coffee, cola,
juice, milk or other colored liquid or if the liquid product
is mineral water or other transparent material and the glass
or PET bottles are translucent or colored. That is, this
invention is designed to securely detect in the final stage
such impurities that may enter the products in the
manufacturing or processing process, as "raw material
impurities," which failed to be removed in inspections on raw
materials, "environmental impurities," which may enter the
products when loaded into the production line, and "impurities
from manufacturing equipment," which come from the
manufacturing equipment during production, thus preventing
defective products containing impurities from being shipped.
A typical form of working of this invention is described
below, with reference given to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows the fundamental principle of an impurities
inspection system claimed in this invention. The glass bottle
1, as a specimen, is filled with a colored liquid (such as
coffee, cola, and milk), and the liquid 2 contains impurities
3. Since the liquid 2 is colored, the impurities 3 cannot be
seen from outside. The impurities 3 are difficult to detect
with visual and optical methods. However, the impurities 3
can be detected by irradiating infrared light with wavelengths
from 750 and 1,000nm in the power range from 0.7mW to 100W
from the infrared source, collecting the transmitted light
from the glass bottle 1 with an objective lens (not shown in
the figure), and receiving the light with a CCD (charge-coupled
device) sensor 11. The CCD sensor 11 has a wide and
high wavelength sensitivity characteristic extending from the
blue to the near-infrared (a wavelength and sensitivity in the
range where the light receiver responds), thus having a high
quantum efficiency for capturing photons. The quantum
efficiency of photography is 2-3% at the most, while the CCD
sensor 11 achieves as much as 90%. Also, the CCD sensor 11 is
characterized by a large ratio of the minimum to the maximum
brightness that can be measured at the same time (the dynamic
range), thus being high in linearity.
It was found that, as a result of these characteristics,
the mere storing of electrons in the section by means of the
phenomenon of free electrons being generated when the CCD is
hit by transmitted light (the photoelectric effect) and
detecting those electrons in order after a specified time of
exposure could turn a liquid from colored or pitch black to
transparent if the liquid is a water solution or other liquid
having molecules of high light transmissivity. The same is
true of cases when the water solution is transparent and the
container is colored.
FIG. 2 indicates a typical arrangement of an image
intensifier 12 on the front panel of the CCD sensor 11. The
image intensifier 12 is also known as the photoelectric
multiplier and is a kind of optical multiplier based on the
secondary electron emission effect and consists of a
photoelectric face, MCP (micro-channel plate), and fluorescent
face. This makes it possible to detect light that are too
weak for humans to sense. The device can therefore be used
not only for visible radiation but for ultraviolet and near-infrared
light as well. FIG. 2 is based on the arrangement of
an image intensifier 12 on the front panel of the CCD sensor
11, so that the CCD sensor 11 can capture printed characters
and other patterns on the paper 13 arranged in front of the
glass bottle 1 filled with a colored liquid 12. In this case,
an ordinary kind of infrared radiation will suffice. This
principle makes it possible to detect impurities 3 in the
glass bottle 1.
In the example of FIG. 3, the device is so designed that
infrared radiation is applied to the side of the glass bottle
1 from the infrared source 14, and the transmitted light from
the glass bottle 1 can be received with the CCD sensor 11 via
the image intensifier 12. In this case, the infrared light
will suffice if they have an ordinary wavelength and power
(wavelength 870nm and power 0.7mW) and requires no particular
regulation. The synergy of the image intensifier 12 and the
CCD sensor 11 makes it possible to detect the impurities 3 in
the liquid 2 even if the liquid 2 is coffee or other colored
liquid or if the glass bottle 1 is colored.
FIGs. 4A and 4B are images from the CCD sensor 11
obtained with the method used in FIG. 1, and the diagram FIG.
4A is an image obtained when no infrared light are applied.
It is found that only the outside of the cola bottle is
captured as an image and the inside of the bottle cannot be
seen. By irradiating infrared light, one can obtain an image
obtained by transmitting light through the glass bottle as
shown in FIG. 4B.
FIGs. 5A and 5B are images taken from a piece of paper on
which characters are printed out between the infrared source
10 and the glass bottle 1. The diagram FIG. 5A shows an image
taken when no infrared light are applied. By irradiating
infrared light, one can read the characters through the glass
bottle as shown in the diagram FIG. 5B. This means that, even
if the glass bottle is colored such as in the case of a cola
bottle 1 and the cola liquid is colored, impurities in the
bottle can be inspected with the CCD camera 11.
An inspection image taken of suspended impurities that
actually entered the glass bottle 1 is shown in FIGs. 6A to 6C
and explained below. FIG. 6A shows a screen showing raw data
about the CCD sensor through visible light, and the impurities
in the glass bottle are not captured as part of the image. On
the other hand, FIG. 6B shows a data screen for the CCD sensor
when infrared light are used, thus showing bar-like impurities
at the left of the screen. FIG. 6C shows a binary image
obtained by processing the image of the diagram FIG. 6B.
Here, the presence of impurities is clear, which makes it
possible to detect impurities.
The above description was about the inspection of
impurities suspended inside a glass bottle. A similar
inspection can be performed on impurities deposited at the
bottom of a glass bottle. FIG. 7 shows how such an inspection
can be performed. Infrared light are irradiated from the
infrared source 14 arranged at the bottom of the glass bottle
1 and provision is made to capture images with the image
intensifier 12 and the CCD sensor 11 arranged at the top of
the glass bottle 1. Such a configuration allows the CCD sensor
11 to detect the impurities 3A settled at the bottom of the
glass bottle 1. FIG. 7 is based on the arrangement of an
infrared source 14, image intensifier 12, and CCD sensor 11
along an optical axis orthogonal to the bottom of the glass
bottle. They can also be arranged in an inclined manner.
Next, an actual image to be taken when deposited
impurities enter the glass bottle 1 is indicated in FIGs. 8A
to 8C, and it is explained below. FIG. 8A shows a raw data
image of the CCD sensor 11 with visible radiation, and the
impurities inside the glass bottle 1 are not captured as part
of the image. On the other hand, FIG. 8B shows a data image
of the CCD sensor 11 when infrared light are used, so that a
T-shaped impurity is captured at the top of the screen. FIG.
8C is a binary image obtained by processing the image obtained
in the diagram FIG. 8B. Here, the presence of the impurities
is clear, which allows impurities to be detected.
Next, a typical application of this invention to the
production line and it is explained with FIG. 9.
Cola bottles, for example, are running on the production
line 20. These cola bottles are detected with a CCD sensor 21
by means of the aforementioned method. Signals detected by
the CCD sensor 21 are image-processed by the image processor
22, and the impurities identification circuit 23 determines
the presence or lack of impurities. When any impurity is
identified, the circuit produces a reject signal RS. The
production line 20 is provided with a cola bottle sorter 24,
and cola bottles corresponding to the reject signal RS are
rejected to divide the bottles into acceptable and defective
ones. This allows one to produce only acceptable products and
ship them.
The above explanation was about the detection of
impurities in bottles. Similar detection of impurities is
possible on colored liquids flowing through a pipeline. FIG.
10 shows how such an inspection can be performed, and the
pipeline 30 has a colored liquid 31 flowing inside it. It can
be flanked by an infrared source 32 on one side, and a CCD
sensor 33 on the other, thus detecting impurities 34 that
entered the liquid 31.
As described above, this invention can detect impurities
contained in products and remove defective products containing
such impurities whether a colored liquid is contained in glass
or PET bottles or the glass or PET bottles are colored. This
makes it possible to eliminate impurities that may enter the
products up until immediately before the liquid is poured into
glass or PET bottles and becomes a final product. The product
can thus be made even safer.
Claims (15)
- An impurities inspection system for detecting impurities in a specimen by irradiating infrared light no less than the first specified power and no more than the second specified power to the specimen, and receiving transmitted light from the specimen by means of a CCD sensor.
- An impurities inspection system according to Claim 1, wherein the first specified power is 0.7mW.
- An impurities inspection system according to Claim 1, wherein the second specified power is 100W and which is specified in Claim 1.
- An impurities inspection system according to Claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the wavelength of the infrared light is 750 to 1,000nm.
- An impurities inspection system according to Claim 1, wherein the impurities are suspended or deposited impurities.
- An impurities inspection system according to Claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein the specimen is a colored liquid.
- An impurities inspection system according to Claim 4, wherein the colored liquid is contained in glass or PET bottles.
- An impurities inspection system according to Claim 7, wherein the glass or PET bottles are made of transparent, translucent, or colored material.
- An impurities inspection system for detecting impurities in a specimen by arranging an image intensifier and a CCD sensor with regard to the specimen, and receiving light through the CCD sensor.
- An impurities inspection system according to Claim 9, further comprising the step of irradiating infrared light to the specimen, and receiving transmitted light from the specimen by means of the CCD sensor via the image intensifier.
- An impurities inspection system according to Claim 10, wherein the wavelength of the infrared light is 750 to 1,000nm.
- An impurities inspection system according to Claim 9,10 or 11, wherein the specimen is a colored liquid.
- An impurities inspection system according to Claim 12, wherein the colored liquid is contained in glass or PET bottles.
- An impurities inspection system according to Claim 9, wherein the impurities are suspended or deposited impurities.
- An impurities inspection system according to Claim 13, wherein the glass or PET bottles are made of transparent, translucent, or colored material.
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2000357665 | 2000-11-24 | ||
JP2000357665 | 2000-11-24 | ||
JP2001018055A JP2002221498A (en) | 2000-11-24 | 2001-01-26 | System for detecting foreign matter |
JP2001018055 | 2001-01-26 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1217358A1 true EP1217358A1 (en) | 2002-06-26 |
Family
ID=26604533
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP01108404A Ceased EP1217358A1 (en) | 2000-11-24 | 2001-04-03 | Impurities inspection system |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20020063215A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1217358A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2002221498A (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2867857A1 (en) * | 2004-03-17 | 2005-09-23 | Sgcc | Aspect and constraint images forming device for glass article e.g. bottle, has object lens that forms intermediate image, image transfer units traversed by beams, where images are sent towards respective cameras |
DE102008030290A1 (en) * | 2008-06-30 | 2009-12-31 | Khs Ag | Opto-electrical detection system |
CN102998316A (en) * | 2012-12-20 | 2013-03-27 | 山东大学 | Transparent liquid impurity detection system and detection method thereof |
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Cited By (3)
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FR2867857A1 (en) * | 2004-03-17 | 2005-09-23 | Sgcc | Aspect and constraint images forming device for glass article e.g. bottle, has object lens that forms intermediate image, image transfer units traversed by beams, where images are sent towards respective cameras |
DE102008030290A1 (en) * | 2008-06-30 | 2009-12-31 | Khs Ag | Opto-electrical detection system |
CN102998316A (en) * | 2012-12-20 | 2013-03-27 | 山东大学 | Transparent liquid impurity detection system and detection method thereof |
Also Published As
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US20020063215A1 (en) | 2002-05-30 |
JP2002221498A (en) | 2002-08-09 |
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